On 6 Apri, 1994, President Juvenal Habyarimana's plane - which was also carrying the President of Burundi - was shot down by an unknown assailant. Mr Kagame maintains it was the work of Hutu extremists, who wanted to provide a pretext for violence against the Tutsi community.

A Rwandan inquiry backed up the president's assertions, but subsequent French investigations have failed to reach any conclusions.

In 2006, Rwanda cut ties with France for three years after a judge called for Mr Kagame to stand trial.